Friction-clutch.



No. 801,124. I PATENTED OCT. y 3, 1905.

' P. S. WILLIAMS.

PRIGTION CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.1`2. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

TINTTED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed December 12, 1903. Serial No. 184,960.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED S. l/VILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rome, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Friction- Olutch, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in friction-clutches.

One object of the invention is to provide a clutching device made in sections, so that it may be readily applied to line-shafts without the necessity of removing the shaft from its supports.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clutching mechanism so constructed as to permit of slow application and quick release.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clutching mechanism in which provision is made for a preliminary starting of the clutching device in advance of the more positive engagement of the principal clutching members, so that the parts will not be subjected to severe strain.

IVith these and other objects in view, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

.and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a clutching mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on the 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an elevation of the disk or mat for effecting the preliminary clutching operation. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the movable or male clutching member. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the sectional ring which carries the movable levers for forcing the clutch members into engagement. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the operating-levers. Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the nut-guiding straps detached. Fig. 10 is a similar view of one of the sectional nuts. Fig. 1l is an elevation,

partly in section, illustrating a modification of the invention.

Similar numeral of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the device forming the subject of the present invention the construction is such as to permit of the ready application of the parts to line-shafts already in place, and thus avoid the necessity of the removal of the shaft from its bearings, as must be done under ordinary circumstances where the shaft is to be connected to a new machine, and provision is also made for slow application of the power in order that the mechanism may not be subjected to any severe strains and for sudden release, so that the device being operated may be quickly stopped, this being of especial value in the case of accident.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a shaft on which is mounted a sectional sleeve 2, within which the shaft revolves freely, and a portion of the exterior ofthe sleeve is faced in order that it may revolve within a bearing or hanger 3. This sleeve is secured rigidly to a pulley beltwheel, gear-wheel, or the like member, through which the movement of the shaft may be imparted to any suitable machinery, or power may be applied to the pulley in order to drive the shaft. The sleeve is made in two or more sections, and each section has bolting-lugs through which securing-bolts 4 are passed. The sleeve is provided with a threaded portion 5 and an annular flange 6 for the reception of a sectional disk 7 having an annular flange 8, the inner surface of which forms a tapered clutching-face, the disk and its flange constituting' the female clutching member.

The two sections of the disk are connected together by suitable bolts 8, arranged adjacent to the periphery of the disk and at the hub thereof, and this disk, together with the sleeve on which it is secured, will normally remain stationary while the shaft 1 revolves.

.To the shaft 1 is secured a sectional sleeve 9, and said sleeve is provided at points at or adjacent to both of its ends with bolting-lugs 10, provided with suitable openings for the passage of securing-bolts 11. The lugs 10 adjacent to the clutching-disk have limited outward projection, and the outer portion of the sleeve is cut away to some extent in order to permit the passage of the securingbolts, as illustrated in Fig. 3. On the sleeve 9 is secured a second sleeve 12, that is pro- IOO vided at one end with bolting-lugs 13, the opposite end of the sleeve having recesses 14 for the reception of the lugs 1() and these forming a connection between the two sleeves, so that both may be readily secured to and rotate with the shaft 1. On the outer sleeve is mounted a camecollar 16 of the construction ordinarily employed in clutches, the collar being provided with an annular groove 17 for the reception of the usual pins or antifrictionrollers carried by a clutch-operating member, this portion of the mechanism being of the type in ordinary use. rlhe sleeve, however, is also made in sections in order that it may be placed in position without the removal of the shaft from its bearings.

The male member of the clutch is in the form of a disk 18, having a peripheral iiange 19 for engagement with .the tapered inner face of the flange 8 of the female clutching member, and the disk is formed in sections, preferably two, which are united by bolts 20, as shown in Fig. 5. To permit the placing' of the bolts in position, each section of the sleeve is provided with a recess 21, and the bolt, which is threaded at both ends, is iirst screwed into a threaded opening in one section and the sections are then brought together, so that the upper threaded end o1 the bolt will project into the recess 21. Nuts 22 are then applied to the threaded ends of the bolts in the manner shown in F ig. 6, and the sections of the sleeve are thus rigidly held together Withoutnecessitating the use of projecting bolting-lugs.

Within the flange 19 of the male member is a clutching-disk 25, that is formed in two or more sections connected by bolts 26, and both this disk and the disk 18 have central openings of greater diameter than the diameter of the sleeve 2, so that they may freely rotate without coming into contact with said sleeve. The two disks 18 and 25 are provided with pockets 27 for the reception of helical compression-springs 28, that tend to force the disk 25 outward into engagement with the adjacent face of the female clutching-disk 7. The disk 18 is provided with Unthreaded openings for the passage of bolts 31, having threaded ends that are screwed into suitable threaded openings 30 in the disk 25, and the heads of the bolts by contactwith the outer face of the disk 18 limit the separating movement of the two disks. The bolts do not in any manner interfere with free movement of the disks toward and from each other, but insure the rotative movement of both, so that the springs will be held in proper position.

The outer face of the clutching-disk 18 is provided with projecting lugs 32, that are spaced a short distance from each other, and to the lugs are secured straps 33, the straps or lugs forming guides for radially-disposed slidable members 34, the inner ends of which are threaded and form sectional nuts for envlevers 45.

gagement with the threaded portion 35 of the end of the sleeve 2, and when these nuts are forced into engagement with the threads and are revolved thereon the male clutching member 18 will be forced into positive engagement with the female clutching member 7. Each of the slidable nuts is provided with an opening or recess 36 for the reception of a tongue 37, that is carried by the strap 33, and the nut is further provided with an opening 38 for the reception of a spring 39, one end of which bears against the tongue 37 and the opposite end against a small screw 40, that is placed in the outer threaded end of the opening 38 and which maybe adjusted in order to vary the stress of the spring. The springs tend to hold the nuts from engagement with the screw-threads 35 and during the releasing operation of the clutch will quicklymove the nuts outward and permit quick release of the clutch member 18 from the female member 7.

On the collar 9 is a loose sleeve 12', having ears or lugs 43, that are connected together by bolts 44, and these bolts form pivots for The levers 45 have rounded end portions 46, that engage in openings 47 in the slidable nuts, and these levers are operated by engagement with the cam-face of the longitudinally-movable clutch-operating sleeve 16 as the latter is shifted by the usual lever.

T he levers 45 are formed each of two connected sections and are of the construction shown in Fig. 8. One section 46,0f the lever is bifurcated, and its two side bars are connected by an arch 48, provided with a threaded opening for the passage of a bolt 49, which may be held permanently in any position of adjustment by a lock-nut 50. The main lever 45 extends within the bifurcated portion 463 and is pivotally connected therewith bya bolt or pin 51, the connection being at a point in advance of the bolt 49. The portion 46 of the lever is also provided with a pin or bolt 52, carrying an antifriction-roller 53 for engagement with the cam-collar. The construction is such that in the event of wear or in the preliminary adjustment of the parts the bolts 49 may turned in one direction or other to properly engage the nuts 34 with the threaded portion 35 of the sleeve 2.

When it is desired to n'rmly clutch the sleeve 2 to the shaft for the purpose of imparting the movement of the shaft to the pulley or for the purpose of driving the shaft from the pulley, the collar 16 is moved in the direction of the two clutch members and its cam-face engages the antifriction-rollers 53 and separates them, so that the slidable nuts will be moved into engagement with the threaded portion 35 of the sleeve 2. Inasmuch as the sleeve 2 is stationary and the male member revoluble, the disk 18 will be forced in the direction of the disk 7, and at this time the disk 25 will be separated from the disk 18 for IOO a distance determined by the adjustment of the bolts 31. This results in the engagement of the disk 25 with the face of the disk 7 in advance of the engagement of the main portion of the disk 18 with the tapered flange of the disk 7, and the two will be brought into frictional contact with very slight force, the pressure gradually increasing as the disk 18 revolves, and this will slowly start the disk 7, the pressure becoming greater and gradually overcoming the resistance of the stationary sleeve, its pulley, and the mechanism to be driven. The clutching movement is finally accomplished when the fiange of the disk 18 enters wholly into the female member of the clutch and the tapered surfaces are brought firmly into contact. The construction is such that the clutch is applied with a degree of force proportionate to the resistance of the mechanism to be driven, and with a slight load the flanges 8 and 19 may not come into frictional contact, but under a heavy load they will be firmly gripped together. When it is desired to release the clutch, the operatinglever is shifted to move the collar 16 outward. The springs 39 will then instantly move the nuts outward from engagement with the screw 35, and as soon as this is accomplished the springs 28 throw the disk 18 out of engagement with the disk 7, and the two clutch members will thus be disengaged from each other almost instantaneously, this being of especial value where the machinery must be stopped suddenly or in case of accident.

The mechanism as described may be further applied for the connection of two alining shafts, the end of one shaft carrying the female clutching member and the abutting end of the alining shaft carrying the-male clutching member. A construction of this kind is illustrated in Fig. 11, but detailed description of the parts is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In combination, a shaft, a loose sleeve mounted thereon and provided with screwthreads, a clutching member carried by said sleeve, a fixed sleeve carried by the shaft, a flanged disk carried thereby and forming a second clutching member, a spring-pressed disk carried by one of the members and movable into engagement with the other in advance of contact of the two members, radially-movable nuts carried by said second clutching member, cam-levers engaging at one end with the said nuts, and a longitudinally-movable camcollar mounted on the fixed sleeve and operatively engaging said cam-levers.

2. rI he combination with a shaft, of a loose sleeve mounted thereon and provided with screw-threads, a flanged clutching-disk secured to the sleeve, a rigid sleeve carried by the shaft, a second fianged clutching-disk carried by the rigid sleeve, a spring-pressed clutching-disk carried by the second sleeve and adapted to engage the first in advance of contact between the disks, guiding-straps carriedA by said second disk, half-nuts mounted within the guiding-straps and adapted to engage the screw-threads, springs tending to withdraw the nuts from engagement with the threads, a loose ring mounted on the rigid sleeve and provided with pivot-ears, levers mounted between said pivot-ears and engaging at one end with the nuts, and a slidable cam-collar mounted on the rigid sleeve and adapted to engage the opposite ends of said levers.

3. The combination with a pair of clutching members, of a threaded sleeve on which one of the members is mounted, radiallymovable nuts carried by the second clutching member and adapted to engage said threaded sleeve, cam-levers having one end in engagement with the nuts, each lever including a bifurcated member', and a second member pivoted thereto, an adjusting-screw carried by the bifurcated member and engaging said second member, an antifriction-roller carried by the bifurcated member, and a slidable camoollar for engaging the rollers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiiXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED S. WILLIAMS. YVitnesses:

J. H. JooHUu, Jr., J. Ross CoLHoUN. 

